Stargazing in Macusani, Puno, Peru

Dark-sky rating for Macusani

Macusani, Puno, Peru is a small town (population about 11,242). A place this size typically has a rural sky: the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. That is an estimate of Bortle class 1–4 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.

For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.

Nearest dark-sky places and observatories

No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km of Macusani. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Macusani

The bright core of the Milky Way passes almost directly overhead. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, peaking in April at about 75°.

• The south celestial pole stands 14.1° above the horizon, so stars within 14° of it never set from here.
• About 62.2% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
• The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 75.1° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 34.4° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
• At 4360 m elevation, roughly 40% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 19, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a First Quarter at 54% illumination. Aurora at 14.1° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Juliaca, Puno, Peru
• Cusco, Cuzco Department, Peru
• Puno, Puno, Peru
• Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru
• La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia